Illeana

Etymology and meaning

The name Ileana is derived from the Greek name Helénē (Ἑλένη), meaning "torch" or "light." It is the Romanian and some Romance language forms of the name Helen, historically popular due to the legendary figure Helen of Troy.

Usage

Ileana is primarily used in Romania and Moldova, but variants and related names appear in Italy, Spain, and other Romance language countries.

In Romanian folklore, the name is associated with the character Ileana Cosânzeana, a beautiful and heroic fairy princess often portrayed as the idealized woman or goddess of love and beauty. She appears in numerous Romanian fairy tales as a symbol of purity and grace.

People

Ileana

Princess Ileana of Romania (1909–1991)

Ileana Beltrán, Cuban judoka

Ileana Cabra, Puerto Rican singer

Ileana Citaristi, Italian dancer

Ileana Cosânzeana, figure in Romanian mythology

Ileana Cotrubaș, Romanian opera soprano

Illeana Douglas, American actress

Ileana D'Cruz, Indian-born Portuguese actress

Ileana Gyulai-Drîmbă-Jenei, Romanian fencer

Ileana Márquez (born 1996), Venezuelan beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Venezuela 2023

Ileana Ongar, former Italian hurdler

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, member of the US House of Representatives

Ileana Salvador, Italian race walker

Ileana Sararoiu (1936–1979), Romanian singer

Ileana Silai (1941–2025), Romanian middle-distance runner

Ileana Sonnabend, Romanian art dealer

Iliana

Iliana Biridakis, Jordanian archer

Iliana Fox, English-born Mexican actress

Iliana Hernández, Cuban journalist

Iliana Ilieva, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast

Iliana Ivanova, Bulgarian politician and economist

Iliana Nikolova, Bulgarian canoe sprinter

Iliana Ortega, Mexican artist

Iliana Raeva, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast

Iliana Rupert, French basketball player

Iliana Ruzza, Venezuelan public official

Iliana Yotova, Bulgarian politician

Fictional characters

Ileana Cosânzeana, a figure in Romanian folk literature

Illeana Scott, played by Angelina Jolie in Taking Lives